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All Common Core: 5th Grade English Language Arts Resources
Passage 1: Rabbits, Stoats, and Kiwis: The Ecology of New Zealand (2016)
新西兰的岛国是独一无二的。很多啊f its animals and plants are found nowhere else. The kiwi is one of the most famous of these animals. This small, flightless bird dwells on the ground. It has tiny wings with which it is unable to fly. Kiwis belong to the same biological family as ostriches and emus, but they are much smaller than their relatives. Kiwis have round bodies and long beaks, and their brown feathers are very long and thin. Because of this, at first glance, someone who has never seen a kiwi before might think it has fur!
New Zealand is particularly fond of the kiwi. It is the country’s national bird. New Zealanders are even sometimes referred to as “kiwis.” Unfortunately, the kiwi is in danger due to changes humans made to New Zealand’s environment.
Hundreds of years ago, European colonists decided to bring rabbits from Europe to New Zealand. They wanted to hunt them for food and for sport. Unfortunately, their plan succeeded too well. In Europe, other animals in the food chain eat rabbits. This keeps their population in check. In New Zealand, though, no animals ate rabbits. So, their population grew to an enormous size. There were way too many rabbits!
The colonists tried to fix the problem by bringing another animal to New Zealand. Since none of New Zealand’s animals ate rabbits, the colonists imported one from Europe that did: the stoat. Stoats are small, carnivorous mammals similar to weasels. They eat rabbits, as well as birds and their eggs. Bird scientists warned the colonists to reconsider their plan, but the plan went forward—to the kiwi’s detriment.
New Zealand’s islands historically lacked predatory mammals. Because of this, kiwis’ flightlessness never put them at a huge risk of being hunted and eaten. This was the case until the stoats were released. The stoats began to eat the kiwis and their eggs in huge numbers. The kiwis had no way of protecting themselves from the stoats. As a result, their population plummeted.
To this day, stoats threaten the kiwi population in New Zealand. To protect native wildlife, residents have to tried to use various methods of trapping and hunting to limit the size of the stoat population. Certain areas have also been fenced in to keep stoats away from native birds like the kiwi.
To function, environments maintain a careful equilibrium between predators and prey. Altering this balance purposely or accidentally can have serious consequences.
- - - - - - - - - -
Passage 2: Unwanted Guests: The Dangers of Invasive Species (2016)
Groups of different animals affect one another in the natural world. For example, imagine that wolves and deer live in an area. A certain number of wolves need to eat a certain number of deer to survive. This keeps the population of the deer from getting too big. Similarly, the deer eat grass and vegetation. If there were more deer, they’d need to eat more grass.
The natural world is full of balances like these. Unfortunately, sometimes these balances are upset by invasive species. An invasive species is an animal or plant that has moved or been moved from its original environment to a new one. It has established a stable population there that is causing problems. Invasive species don’t cause problems in their original environments because they are kept in check by other plants and animals. In new environments, though, they have nothing stopping them from taking over.
One example of an invasive species is the zebra mussel. This animal originally only lived near Russia. Zebra mussels got into the Great Lakes by attaching themselves to the bottoms of ships. They now live in the Great Lakes too, where they upset the ecosystem. Zebra mussels eat algae, but so do fish. Many fish die as a result of there not being enough algae for all the animals to eat.
Plants can be invasive species too. Another example of an invasive species is the kudzu vine. Humans introduced the plant to the United States on purpose. Farmers were encouraged to grow it to protect their soil. Since then, it has gotten out of control. It now covers large parts of the South, outcompeting native plants for resources like water and sunlight.
Invasive species can cause environmental problems that are very difficult to fix. Because of this, it’s important to rethink introducing any species to a new environment. It’s also important to check to make sure when traveling that you are not bringing any plants or animals with you!
Passage 1__________, whereas Passage 2__________.
compares two things with one another . . . introduces and defines a term and provides examples
解释了一系列的原因和影响。briefly describes a problem and then describes a proposed solution in detail
introduces and defines a term and provides examples . . . explains a sequence of causes and effects
解释了一系列的原因和影响。introduces and defines a term and provides examples
introduces and defines a term and provides examples . . . describes one particular species in detail
Passage 1__________, whereas Passage 2__________.
compares two things with one another . . . introduces and defines a term and provides examples
解释了一系列的原因和影响。briefly describes a problem and then describes a proposed solution in detail
introduces and defines a term and provides examples . . . explains a sequence of causes and effects
introduces and defines a term and provides examples . . . describes one particular species in detail
解释了一系列的原因和影响。introduces and defines a term and provides examples
This fill-in-the-blank question asks us to pick out correct statements about how each passage uses a different structure. To answer it correctly, let's analyze each passage and the corresponding parts of the answer choices. Let's start with the first blank, the one that corresponds to Passage 1. How is Passage 1 organized? Passage 1 introduces the kiwi and then tells a chronological story about how rabbits were brought to New Zealand, then stoats, which hurt the kiwi population. So, we can't correctly claim that Passage 1 "introduces and defines a term and provides examples" or that it "compares two things with one another." It "explains a sequence of causes and effects," though. This is the correct phrase for the first blank. This narrows down our answer choices. Now, we just need to figure out whether Passage 2 "briefly describes a problem and then describes a proposed solution in detail" or "introduces and defines a term and provides examples."
Let's skim over Passage 2 and summarize what it discusses in each paragraph in a phrase or short sentence. Doing this can help us spot patterns in its organization.
Paragraph 1: General introduction about how species affect one another in environments
Paragraph 2: Introduction and definition of invasive species
第三段:入侵物种(Z的例子ebra mussel)
Paragraph 4: Example of invasive plant species (Kudzu vine)
Paragraph 5: Summary and recommendations
Based on this skimming, we can see that the passage "introduces and defines a term and provides examples." So, the best answer is "explains a sequence of causes and effects . . . introduces and defines a term and provides examples."
Passage 1: Passage and illustrations adapted from "How Sun, Moon, and Wind Went Out to Dinner" inIndian Fairy Tales(1892; ed. Joseph Jacobs, illus. John D. Batten)
Image "Common Core Fifth Grade CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3 - Compare and Contrast Two or More Characters, Settings, or Events - Image 1" adapted from "How Sun, Moon, and Wind Went Out to Dinner" inIndian Fairy Tales(ed. Joseph Jacobs, illustrator John D. Batten, 1892 ed.).
Image "Common Core Fifth Grade CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3 - Compare and Contrast Two or More Characters, Settings, or Events - Image 2" adapted from "How Sun, Moon, and Wind Went Out to Dinner" inIndian Fairy Tales(ed. Joseph Jacobs, illustrator John D. Batten, 1892 ed.).
ne day Sun, Moon, and Wind went out to dine with their uncle and aunts Thunder and Lightning. Their mother (one of the most distant Stars you see far up in the sky) waited alone for her children's return.
Now both Sun and Wind were greedy and selfish. They enjoyed the great feast that had been prepared for them, without a thought of saving any of it to take home to their mother—but the gentle Moon did not forget her. Of every dainty dish that was brought round, she placed a small portion under one of her beautiful long finger-nails, that Star might also have a share in the treat.
On their return, their mother, who had kept watch for them all night long with her little bright eye, said, "Well, children, what have you brought home for me?" Then Sun (who was eldest) said, "I have brought nothing home for you. I went out to enjoy myself with my friends—not to fetch a dinner for my mother!" And Wind said, "Neither have I brought anything home for you, mother. You could hardly expect me to bring a collection of good things for you, when I merely went out for my own pleasure." But Moon said, "Mother, fetch a plate, see what I have brought you." And shaking her hands she showered down such a choice dinner as never was seen before.
Then Star turned to Sun and spoke thus, "Because you went out to amuse yourself with your friends, and feasted and enjoyed yourself, without any thought of your mother at home—you shall be cursed. Henceforth, your rays shall ever be hot and scorching, and shall burn all that they touch. And men shall hate you, and cover their heads when you appear."
(And that is why the Sun is so hot to this day.)
Then she turned to Wind and said, "You also who forgot your mother in the midst of your selfish pleasures—hear your doom. You shall always blow in the hot dry weather, and shall parch and shrivel all living things. And men shall detest and avoid you from this very time."
(And that is why the Wind in the hot weather is still so disagreeable.)
But to Moon she said, "Daughter, because you remembered your mother, and kept for her a share in your own enjoyment, from henceforth you shall be ever cool, and calm, and bright. No noxious glare shall accompany your pure rays, and men shall always call you 'blessed.'"
(And that is why the moon's light is so soft, and cool, and beautiful even to this day.)
This story contrasts Sun and Wind against Moon. In which of the following respects do Sun and Wind differ from Moon in this story?
Whether or not they save food for their mother
Whether or not they are invited to dinner
Whether or not they invite their mother to a dinner party
Whether or not they attend dinner
This story contrasts Sun and Wind against Moon. In which of the following respects do Sun and Wind differ from Moon in this story?
Whether or not they are invited to dinner
Whether or not they invite their mother to a dinner party
Whether or not they attend dinner
Whether or not they save food for their mother
This question is asking you to figure out how Sun and Wind are different from Moon in this passage. Let's skim over the story to figure out where Sun and Wind do one thing and Moon does something different, or where Sun and Wind have something happen to them that does not happen to Moon.
In the second paragraph, we see that Moon does something that Sun and Wind do not:
Now both Sun and Wind were greedy and selfish. They enjoyed the great feast that had been prepared for them, without a thought of saving any of it to take home to their mother—but the gentle Moon did not forget her. Of every dainty dish that was brought round, she placed a small portion under one of her beautiful long finger-nails, that Star might also have a share in the treat.
Here, we see that Moon saves some food from the dinner for her mother, but Sun and Wind do not save any for her. This observation matches the answer choice that Sun and Wind differ from Moon in "whether or not they save food for their mother," which is the correct answer.
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